[ Dreyfus] - émile Zola “j’accuse…!” Letter To The President Of The Republic By émile Zola

[THE DREYFUS AFFAIR] - Émile ZOLA

I Accuse…!

LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC

By ÉMILE ZOLA

First edition of Zola’s article, which appeared on the front page of L’Aurore on January 13, 1898.

Four pages, large folio (64 x 47 cm)

Slight imperfections and browning.

Scattered restorations and creases flattened.

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The Manifesto of Truth! A rare copy of issue No. 87 of the daily newspaper L’Aurore, featuring its entire front page (and the following page) devoted to Émile Zola’s open letter to President Félix Faure, published in six columns under the monumental headline “J’accuse… !”, conceived by Georges Clemenceau.

This publication is one of the seminal documents in the political history of the French press and has become a symbol of the defense of civil liberties.

A turning point in the murky Dreyfus Affair, the indictment specifically names ten key figures involved in the case. The novelist knew that he was thereby placing himself in violation of the July 29, 1881, law on freedom of the press; he is delighted by this: “My impassioned protest is nothing but the cry of my soul. Let them dare to bring me before the criminal court, and let the investigation take place in broad daylight! I await it.”

His trial, his conviction for libel, and his subsequent exile to England would give this text international resonance and help set in motion the retrial of the Dreyfus case.

The impact of this issue of *L’Aurore* was immediate. The print run—exceptional for the newspaper—was increased to nearly 300,000 copies (compared to the usual few tens of thousands) and sold out on the very day it went on sale.

Intended for ephemeral reading, the daily was printed on ordinary-quality paper, which explains the very small number of copies that have survived to this day, let alone in satisfactory condition.

The document is presented in a “double-pane” frame with a carved molding.